Assembly kit for making a decorative drawing board

ABSTRACT

A decorative drawing board comprising a ground board having on its upper surface an original picture coated with a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive material. An assembly of variously colored spherical beads are selectively affixed to the adhesive layer in a pattern for reproducing the original picture. The present invention is further drawn to a kit for making the above described decorative drawing board which includes the ground board and assembly of colored beads as individual components.

United States Patent Ishida [4 1 Aug. 1,1972

[54] ASSEMBLY KIT FOR MAKING A DECORATIVE DRAWING BOARD [72] Inventor:Masao Ishida, l(iyomachiborikaikan Bldg, 126, l-chome, Kiyomachibori,Nishi-ku, Osaka,

, Japan [22] Filed: May 18, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 38,443

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 19, 1969 Japan".....44/110331 [52] U.S. Cl. ..35/26, 161/18, 161/45,161/162,161/167,161/406 [51] Int. Cl. ..G09b 29/00 [58] Field of Search..161/18, 5, 43, 45,162, 13, 161/406, DlG. 5, 19, 167; 35/26 [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,466,217 9/1969 Mott ..161/406 x1 3,405,025 10/1968 Goldman ..161/167 X 3,315,374 4/1967 Geraty ..35/263,516,893 6/1970 Gerard ..161/6 2,383,884 8/1945 Palmquist ..161/406 X3,176,836 4/1965 Gunn ..35/26 X 2,033,288 3/1936 Kmicic ..161/183,093,462 6/1963 Rapaport 161 18 UX 2,937,931 5/1960 PrimaryExaminer-Philip Dier Attorney()lson, Trexler, Wolters & Bushnell 5 7]ABSTRACT A decorative drawing board comprising a ground board having onits upper surface .an original picture coated with a layer ofpressure-sensitive adhesive material. An assembly of variously coloredspherical beads are selectively affixed to the adhesive layer in apattern for reproducing the original picture. The present invention isfurther drawn to a kit for making the above described decorative drawingboard which includes the ground board and assembly of colored beads asindividual components.

4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures Nugent ..161/18 UX PATENTEDALII; 1 I912 73,680,225

' sum 1 0F 3 PATENTEDAUB 1 1912 5.680.225

' SHEET 2 [IF 3 Jae/Q 0? P/VwaO 15m ASSEMBLY KIT FOR MAKING A DECORATIVEDRAWING BOARD SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generallyto ornamental structures and more particularly to decorative drawingboards and kits for making the same.

DISTINCTIONS OVER THE PRIOR ART AND OBJECTS The art of rejuvenating orenhancing various diagrams such as pictures, patterns, or letters takeson many forms, the most common one of which is to embroider diversecolored threads or beads of synthetic resin or glass to a suitablefabric printed with the basic diagram. Another common method resides inthe use of small pieces of glass or tile which are glued to a suitableboard so as to give a mosaic-like expression.

A disadvantage of the above described decorative drawing boards residesin the considerable amount of effort and time required for assemblingthe same. For example, the embroidery process requires that each bead beindividually stitched to the fabric. The time and effort necessary toaccomplish this can only be appreciated by comparing it to the act ofthreading hundreds of needles with a thin piece of yarn. On the otherhand, the adherent process utilizes an adhesive material of eithermineral or vegetable origin for coupling pieces of glass or tile to asuitable board. It has been found that this type of adhesive materialrapidly solidifies from a liquid or mucous state so that the decorativedrawing board must be completed rather rapidly and thus eliminating areasonable period of time for correction. On the other hand, other typesof adhesive material used in the prior art require such a long period oftime to solidify that the drawing board cannot be touched or moved for along period of time after completion thereof. In both cases, a greatdeal of pressure is required in order to achieve an intimate adhesion ofthe diagram. Further, caution must always be used so as to avoidcontaminating the diagram with the adhesive bond.

Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide anew and improved assembly kit for constructing a decorative drawingboard which overcomes the aforementioned defects of the prior art byproviding individual components which may be rapidly and easily bondedtogether.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel andimproved assembly kit for enhancing the appearance of a selectedoptional diagram such as a picture, pattern or letter.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel andimproved assembly kit which can be rapidly and easily transformed into adecorative drawing board by a woman during her leisure time at home.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved decorative drawing board which enhances the quality of anassociated diagram.

These and other objects and features of the present invention willbecome more apparent from a reading of the following descriptions.

The above objects are attained and the prior art defects are avoided byproviding a decorative drawing board assembly kit comprising a selecteddiagram fixedly supported on one surface of a ground board, the

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diagram being covered with a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesivematerial which in turn is protected by suitable means prior to theassembling thereof. The assembly kit further includes an assembly ofvariously colored spherical beads of glass or synthetic resin which areselectively applied to the adhesive surface of the diagram for enhancingthe quality thereof. The present invention further contemplates theassembled product which comprises a ground board and selected diagramwith the different colored beads fixed in appropriate positions theretofor enhancing the appearance thereof and a transparent cover of glass orsynthetic resin positioned over the diagram for preventing thedisplacement of the beads.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention and itsadvantages will become more readily apparent as the specification isconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the ground boardprovided by an assembly kit for making the decorative drawing boardaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, of the groundboard taken along line IIII in F IG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an assembly of beads which is another componentof the assembly kit according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of one embodiment of the completed decorativedrawing board according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, of the drawingboard taken along line VV in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the drawing boardshowing the part VI in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, of anotherembodiment of the decorative drawing board according to the presentinvention showing a similar part to the one shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view, partly cut away, of still another embodimentof the decorative drawing board according to the present inventionshowing a similar part to the one shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view, partly cut away, of another embodiment ofthe ground board according to the present invention showing a similarpart to the one shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 10 is a sectional view, partly cut away, of still anotherembodiment of the ground board according to the present inventionshowing a similar part to the one shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings, and particularly toFIGS. 1 and 2, a ground board 1, of a preferred embodiment, is shown,the ground board comprising an essential component of an assembly kitfor making a decorative drawing board according to the presentinvention.

The ground board, which is preferably made of plywood or syntheticresin, is rectangular in shape and includes a similarly shaped centerinlay 1b which is bordered by an edge la.

A printed layer 2 including thereon an original diagram such as apicture 2a is provided on the central inlay surface lb. It is to beunderstood that the picture 2a may be applied to the ground board inother suitable ways, such as by handcrafting. A layer of transparentpressure-sensitive adhesive material 3 covers printed layer 2 andpicture 2a so as to permit the affixing of a plurality of variouslycolored beads, which will be described hereinafter. The adhesive ispreferably of the type used with cellophane tape or polyvinyl resin tapewhich has the quality of very slowly solidifying when exposed to theatmosphere. A protective paper layer 4 is temporarily applied to theentire adhesive surface in order to protect the adhesive layer fromatmospheric conditions such as dust prior to use and may be easilyremoved therefrom without stripping off the adhesive layer. Thisprotective layer preferably comprises either cellophane, synthetic resinfilm or wax coated paper.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an adhesive layer 3a and atemporary protective layer 4a similar to adhesive layer 3 and protectivelayer 4, respectively, are applied to the edge la of the ground boardfor reasons to be described hereinafter.

Turning to FIG. 3, there is shown an assembly of beads composed of anumber of variously colored transparent spherical beads 5 with diametersof, for example, approximately 2 millimeters. The beads are preferablydivided into several similarly colored groups which may be accommodatedin individual containers or pouches (not shown). The beads, which forman additional component of the assembly kit, are selectively affixed tothe adhesive layer of the ground board, in a manner to be described inmore detail hereinafter, for enhancing the quality of picture 2a.

In constructing a decorative drawing board by utilizing the abovedescribed assembly kit, the protective paper layer is stripped away fromthe ground board for exposing the adhesive layer 3 and thereafter thebeads 5 are selectively applied thereto, each bead of a particular colorbeing positioned adjacent a similarly colored portion of the picture.The end result is the duplication of the original picture 20 which isaesthetically enhanced in a manner and for reasons to be describedhereinafter.

Upon completing the last mentioned step, the protecting paper layer 4ais stripped from the edge 1a and a transparent rectangular glass plate 6having identical dimensions to those of the ground board 1 is placedagainst and aligned with the top surface of the ground board so as tocompletely cover the surface thereof, the plate adhering to the adhesivelayer 3a. Thus, the beads, which might otherwise tend to be dislodgedfrom adhesive layer 3, are secured thereto owing to the presence of theglass plate.

While the above described operational description has been directed tothe assembling of a decorative drawing board from kit form, it is to beunderstood that substantially the same procedure would be followed inmanufacturing the board, except that the protective layers 4 and 4awould not be required.

Turning to FIG. 7, a modified method of applying transparent glass plate6 to the ground board 1 is shown. In this case, a rectangular grooveslightly wider than the thickness of glass plate 6 extends entirelyaround the inside surface of edge la and receives therein the edgeportion of the glass plate which is dimensioned down to cooperatetherewith. On the other hand, a completely different manner ofrestraining the beads 5 may be provided as can be seen in FIG. 8 where atransparent resin is sprayed over the beads so as to form a lacquerlayer 8.

It is to be noted that when a transparent glass plate is provided, thenecessity for a protective paper layer is eliminated, since the glassplate may be used for preventing dust from adhering to the adhesivelayers. However, when a protective paper layer is provided, it ispreferable that such layer be transparent for exposing the pictureinorder that a potential consumer may readily choose from a multiplicityof designs. On the other hand, if the protective paper layer is opaque,a duplication of the original picture 2a may be readily printed thereonfor providing the same convenience to the customer, without thenecessity of stripping the cover off the associated ground board.

Turning to FIG. 9, a second embodiment of the ground board 1 is shown.This embodiment is substantially identical to the one described withrespect to FIGS. 1 and 2, except that a suitable sheet member 9 isprovided for supporting printed layer 2 and picture 2a. An adhesivelayer 11 is provided over the inlay portion lb on the ground board andthe sheet member 9 is attached thereto. Adhesive layer 3 and protectivepaper 4 are thereafter positioned on top of the sheet member in the samemanner as described above.

Turning to FIG. 10, another embodiment of the ground board is shown andis identical to the ground board described in FIG. 9 except that a filml0 bounded on both sides by adhesive layers 3a and 3b is positionedbetween the printed layer 2 and protective paper layer 4.

As described hereinabove, the assembly kit for making a decorativedrawing board according to the present invention generally comprises aground board and an assembly of variously colored beads which aresecured to an original picture by utilizing the highly viscid nature ofa pressure-sensitive adhesive. One of the most essential features of theassembly kit is this adhesive material which, owing to its highlyviscous nature, remains in a semi-permanent stable state when exposed tothe air. This in turn allows the beads to be rolled or maneuvered on theadhesive layer for assembling the decorative board without contaminatingthe adhesive layer. In addition, the adhesive layer provides littleresistance to the beads so that the latter may be simply and rapidlymanipulated into their intended positions for realization of a detaileddecorative drawing board. That is, for example, a curve is expressed byplacing a plurality of beads, having the same color as the originalcurve, directly above the original curve and pressing lightly with afinger. This procedure takes, at most, between one-tenth andone-twentieth of the time required to do the same in the prior art.Further, no additional tools are necessary as is the case in the priorart.

It is to be noted that the above described beads are preferablytransparent so that the original picture can be seen therethrough. Inthis case, the beads act as convex lenses so that the picture will takeon different forms when viewed from varied angles. Thus, for example, inone instance the picture takes on brightness whereas in another instancethe reflected light causes a shadow effect. In this manner, thedecorative drawing board, according to the present invention, exhibits abeautiful decorative effect that can never be expected with a manuallydrawn picture, a mosaic or an embroidered picture. In order tostrengthen the lightreflecting characteristics for advancing the abovedescribed effect, the picture may be metallically printed or may beprovided with metallic coloring matter.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown, it shouldbe understood, of course, that the invention is not limited theretosince many modifications may be made. It is, therefore, contemplated tocover by the present application any such modifications as fall withinthe true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

I. An assembly kit for making a decorative drawing board comprising: aground board having an upper surface; a sheet member permanently mountedon said upper surface and having an upwardly displayed original picturethereon; a transparent pressure-sensitive adhesive layer covering theexposed surface of said sheet member and visually revealing saidpicture; a unitary protective covering sheet coextensive areawise withand releasably mounted over said adhesive layer, wherein said protectivesheet includes a picture identical to said original picture; and aplurality of variously colored beads adapted to be applied selectivelyto said adhesive layer upon removal of said protective covering sheet.

2. An assembly kit for making a decorative drawing board comprising: aground board having an upper surface, wherein the upper surface of saidground board includes a central inlay portion bounded around itsperiphery by an upwardly extending edge portion, said original picturebeing supported on said inlay portion; a sheet member permanentlymounted on said upper surface and having an upwardly displayed originalpicture thereon; a transparent pressure-sensitive adhesive layercovering the exposed surface of said sheet member and visually revealingsaid picture; a unitary protective covering sheet coextensive areawisewith and releasably mounted over said adhesive layer; and a plurality ofvariously colored beads adapted to be applied selectively to saidadhesive layer upon removal of said protective covering sheet.

3. An assembly kit according to claim 2 wherein said adhesive layercovers said inlay portion and a second adhesive layer covers said edgeportion.

4. An assembly kit according to claim 2 wherein said edge portionincludes a groove extending entirely around its inner side surface andwherein said protective sheet is a glass plate for protecting saidadhesive layer, the edge of said glass plate being insertable into saidgroove.

1. An assembly kit for making a decorative drawing board comprising: aground board having an upper surface; a sheet member permanently mountedon said upper surface and having an upwardly displayed original picturethereon; a transparent pressure-sensitive adhesive layer covering theexposed surface of said sheet member and visually revealing saidpicture; a unitary protective covering sheet coextensive areawise withand releasably mounted over said adhesive layer, wherein said protectivesheet includes a picture identical to said original picture; and aplurality of variously colored beads adapted to be applied selectivelyto said adhesive layer upon removal of said protective covering sheet.2. An assembly kit for making a decorative drawing board comprising: aground board having an upper surface, wherein the upper surface of saidground board includes a central inlay Portion bounded around itsperiphery by an upwardly extending edge portion, said original picturebeing supported on said inlay portion; a sheet member permanentlymounted on said upper surface and having an upwardly displayed originalpicture thereon; a transparent pressure-sensitive adhesive layercovering the exposed surface of said sheet member and visually revealingsaid picture; a unitary protective covering sheet coextensive areawisewith and releasably mounted over said adhesive layer; and a plurality ofvariously colored beads adapted to be applied selectively to saidadhesive layer upon removal of said protective covering sheet.
 3. Anassembly kit according to claim 2 wherein said adhesive layer coverssaid inlay portion and a second adhesive layer covers said edge portion.4. An assembly kit according to claim 2 wherein said edge portionincludes a groove extending entirely around its inner side surface andwherein said protective sheet is a glass plate for protecting saidadhesive layer, the edge of said glass plate being insertable into saidgroove.